LIVE UNITED Y’All!

By David Langdon
Bulldogs in the Bluegrass Intern for Metro United Way

The job title “Intern” doesn’t usually bring to mind the most revered of all positions. For those of you reading now, if you smell coffee, it could be that an intern just placed a cup on your desk, or maybe your carpet still reeks of cappuccino from the last time your intern spilled it on the floor. Just don’t forget to yell at him for forgetting the cream and sugar, or else he’ll never learn!

For some interns, however, this rite of passage goes more smoothly and productively than for others. In fact, as an intern this summer for Metro United Way’s Community Impact Department, I can playfully mock my less-fortunate brethren while knowing that I did a lot more this summer than familiarize myself with the world of coffee makers and copying machines. I was lucky enough to be placed right into the grit of Metro United Way’s extensive work on early childhood education, a role that enabled me to participate in the inspiring effort to meet this region’s ambitious educational goals. And while my entire summer was not spent on early childhood education, I was exposed to enough of it to get a sense of how much Metro United Way does for Kentuckiana and how much is still left to be done.

I began my early childhood research by working with the Ages a& Stages Questionnaires (ASQ), a component of Success By 6 that allows parents to track the developmental progress of their children. Once I was well-versed in that, I took my show on the road and shared the good news of ASQs with several million parents (or maybe just a few hundred) at the Kindergarten Countdown event at Slugger Field. Back in the office, I later found myself working over data figures that told the story of how Metro United Way’s educational initiatives are funded, all the while helping to do what I could with the Border’s Book Drives and college scholarship interviews. Though these efforts cover a wide array of educational projects, they only scratch the surface of the enormous educational machine at work in Metro United Way.

The final early childhood education project I worked on reminded me that despite all of the great work that is being put into the community’s children, we cannot afford to get complacent. The educational figures I studied from JCPS schools, though they are improving in many categories, are staggering nonetheless. Dropout rates, reading levels, and sub-par testing performance remind us how pressing the educational agenda is for the health of the community’s future. For those of us who want to fight to improve the opportunities and the lives of local youth, I suggest that we work together, join hands, and, if I dare say it, live united as we strive toward the common goal of educational progress.

As my time at Metro United Way is coming to a close, I want to point out how fortunate the local community is to have so many people who deeply care about the health of their community and their neighbors. All of the early childhood projects I worked on and the people with whom I worked reflected this. I owe a tremendous thank you to Metro United Way—not just for giving me an internship that demanded more than cappuccino skills—but for letting me work side-by-side with the very people who are going to bring this great community to the cutting edge of education.

If you would like to get involved with education in greater Louisville, please visit our volunteer website!

McKaye, Kayla and David - our wonderful Bulldogs in the Bluegrass!

*Note* – David, along with two other Yale students, connected with Metro United Way through the Bulldogs Across America Internship Program. Click here to learn how your organization or company can get involved!

Education Ages & Stages Questionnaires, ASQ, Borders Book Drive, early childhood education, Kindergarten Countdown, Success By 6

By Angie Ditsler

I’m sitting here at my desk reflecting back over the last few weeks about interesting people I’ve met or conversations I’ve had. Sure, I’ve had a lot of conversations with coworkers and volunteers about work-related matters and big projects coming up.  I’ve also spent plenty of time talking to my husband and friends about the recent primary elections and our impending vacation coming up in a couple days. However, the most memorable conversations I’ve had in recent weeks have been with my 22-month-old nephew Jack.

Now don’t get me wrong; talking to Jack isn’t quite the same as talking to Warren Buffet, but in a lot of ways Jack makes me think and laugh just as hard. I usually don’t make it up to Cincinnati more than once a month to visit him so I treasure the time we get to spend together. When I last saw him on April 14, Jack was talking a mile a minute although I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. This time, when I went to wake him up from his nap on Saturday and asked him if he knew who was waiting downstairs to see him, he not only listed every relative in three generations and our pets, but he also raised his little eyebrows and looked me square in the eyes and said, “I throw the ball?” (It actually sounded more like, “I fro da ba?”) I immediately knew Jack was referring to our dog Dubs whom he loves to play fetch with when we come to visit.

I was stunned! I understood every word he said. Not only that, but I couldn’t believe he was putting three and four words together to form phrases and sentences already. In just a few short weeks, Jack had expanded his vocabulary by at least a dozen words and was actually able to carry on brief conversations- of course, they were about things like doggies, bath time, and his baby sister Cece. Still, it was the first time I had to pause and think, “Wow, the Little Man is really growing up.”

Watching Jack grow has been the most exciting thing to happen in my life so far. It’s amazing to see how much he’s learning and how quickly he’s changing every time I see him. Jack is a daily reminder of how important the first six years of a child’s life truly are. He’s a vacuum to the words, behaviors (and, yes, even dance moves) that are modeled around him. Every sound, sight, touch and taste is a learning experience for Jack- and it’s an absolute delight watching him learn.

For more information about the importance of early childhood visit www.metrounitedway.org/successby6.

Education early childhood, early childhood education, early learning, Success By 6

When Luke was not quite 18 months old, I began to have concerns about his speech development. I consulted family members, friends, co-workers, and expert volunteers for their opinions. Of course, by asking so many people I got quite a range of advice. There were a lot of folks who thought that I had very high expectations for Luke, and that I should wait until he was at least two before I really worried. Others thought that as his mom I knew best and it couldn’t hurt to have an evaluation done. In the end, I decided that I did know my child better than anyone else in the world. If he didn’t qualify for services then I would know that I had been overreacting but wouldn’t have worried that I hadn’t done enough for my son.

So, I spoke with a friend who works for First Steps, and she guided me through the process. It was actually pretty easy. I made the referral for Luke. Within a few days, the Initial Service Coordinator (ISC) assigned to Luke contacted me to set up a time for us to talk. She came to my office and asked me several questions about Luke and we set up a time for his evaluation. The evaluator came to our home. She played with Luke, asked us more questions about our observations of him and made notations on the forms she was using. Based on her findings, he did qualify for speech services. We then chose a Primary Service Coordinator (PSC) who helped us choose a speech therapist.

Luke’s speech therapist would see him at a variety of locations based on her schedule and what worked for us. Sometimes she would see him at his child care center, sometimes at our house, and sometimes at one of his grandmothers’ homes. It was so nice to have his therapy at places that he was used to and comfortable with. His therapist was kind and offered us tips about what we could do with Luke on a day-to-day basis to encourage his speech development.

When enrolled in First Steps, the PSC and therapists periodically review the established Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP). At our second review, the speech therapist shared that she thought that Luke might have some sensory issues and recommended that we have an evaluation to see if Luke qualified for Occupational Therapy. I was a little shocked and admittedly devastated. I had been able to accept his need for speech that was seemingly common, but a sensory integration disorder? That I wasn’t prepared for.

I didn’t understand. This was my child. The child I read to everyday from the time he was in the womb, the child I played, sang and danced with, my sweet boy. I never thought that my child would be the recipient of services. In my job I help to make sure that services are available to those in need. I am not used to being the one in need. So, I began to look into Sensory Integration Dysfunction. A lot of the descriptions that I read on the web and in recommended books did seem to fit my sweet boy. So, I knew what I had to do. If he had something going on that he needed help with, it was my responsibility to make sure that he got the help that he needed. Even if it meant that my expectations had to change.

We had further evaluation and he qualified for Occupational Therapy. Luke’s experience with OT was amazing. In my opinion, it actually helped with his speech more than the speech therapy alone had. This “diagnosis” wasn’t the end of the world. It was a way for Luke to learn to manage some of his challenges. It was a way for him to be more comfortable in the world.

At the beginning of April, my not-so-little Luke will turn three. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone by. His third birthday will also mark the end of his time with First Steps. He has come a long way. I now understand almost all of what he is saying, although he doesn’t use all of the correct sounds. He transitions easily from one activity to another, and is a well-adjusted, normal little boy.

Based on my conversations with his therapists, his PSC and my contacts at JCPS I have decided to let Luke take the summer off from therapy. He would likely only qualify for speech through the school system and the school year is coming to a close. So, we’re going to enroll in swim lessons, continue going to Gymboree and work on his articulation during our normal conversations. We’ll see how he’s doing in September. If I think that Luke still needs an extra boost in his language development, we’ll seek an evaluation through the school system or look into private services. I will always make sure that he has everything that he needs to be the best person that he can be.

Education early childhood education, parenting, Success By 6